By Christi McGuire
The PEN Institute, a new entity of the parent company, Christian Editor Network LLC, has launched! It is an online educational institute for Christian editors to encourage and equip them along their editing journeys. The online courses were a part of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, which began in 2004 when founder Kathy Ide had a vision to create a community for Christian editors. All of the courses were taught by PEN members and conducted via Google groups. Over the last twelve years, the number of courses and students has increased so much that education developed into its own entity, The PEN Institute.
The PEN Institute courses offer instruction in topics such as editing, grammar, business, and publishing. Currently, all courses are offered as Group Instruction. Soon we will offer three options for most courses: Lesson Pack (instant download without instructor feedback), Group Instruction (scheduled throughout the year and taught via forums), and Individual Mentoring (one-on-one learning with the instructor).
These courses are now open for registration on our website:
- Fiction Bootcamp, taught by Jeanne Marie Leach, will begin on September 26.
- Establishing Your Freelance Business, facilitated by Christi McGuire and using the material developed by Kathy Ide, will begin on October 3.
- Editing in MS Word, taught by Rachel Newman, will begin on October 10.
More courses will be scheduled soon. Some features of the website are still in development. The website will be updated continuously with information and new features. Check back often!
We are always open to ideas about what kind of courses you would like to see offered in the future. If you have suggestions, please e-mail Director@PENinstitute.com.
Members of The Christian PEN will continue receiving discounts for all courses. To register for a course, all students must create a profile before adding a course to your shopping cart. On the website, click on Login, then Register, then follow the instructions to create your profile.
Visit the site and take a look around. Check out the team of Instructors, FAQs, Courses, and more.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Christi McGuire, the Director of The PEN Institute, at Director@PENinstitute.com.
Christi McGuire, freelance editor, writer, and consultant, has been in the Christian publishing industry for over fifteen years. Formerly an editor at LifeWay Christian Resources, Christi has published over one hundred magazine articles, dozens of children’s devotionals, and ten years of VBS curriculum. She is also the coordinator for the Christian Editor Connection, an organization that matches authors with professional editors. Currently, her primary focus is partnering with authors in the creative process to polish their manuscripts and book proposals and help them navigate the path to publishing. Visit her website at www.ChristiMcGuire.com.
